Sload
Sload are a race featured in the Elder Scrolls series. They live in watery regions and antagonize the Altmer. History Very little is known about the history of the Sload as there has been no expeditions to their home continent of Thras to take away any information on them. The lack of knowledge is also hindered by the fact that the only Sload that is known to read and write is N'Gasta (N'Gasta! Kvata! Kvakis!), and no other literature relating to their history has been recorded. When the Redguards came to Tamriel in 1E 808, they brought with them a tradition of burying their criminals on islands off their shore, to prevent their evil spirits from disturbing the living. The Sload took advantage of these graveyards off the coast, finding them suitable laboratories for their necromancy. The Redguards pushed back against the invaders, but reports of Sload living off the coast near settled lands from Stros M'kai to Abibon-Gora have surfaced well into the Third Era. The Thrassian Plague, which decimated Tamriel's population in the year 2260 of the First Era, was the most outrageous and deadly attack against the mainland ever made by the Sload. The All Flags Navy was set up in 1E 2200 and was a navy of many different nations, headed by a Colovian, King of Anvil, Bendu Olo. The nations included that of Colovia, Cyrodiil, and Hammerfell. The purpose of the navy was to halt the spread of the Thrassian Plague. Despite the victory of Olo, the Plague, coupled with the War of Righteousness, still destroyed half of the population of Daggerfall. The Sload have been quiet for the past thirty years. Their hero, the King of Worms Mannimarco, has likewise ceased to trouble Tamriel. Appearance Like many of Tamriel's sentient beings, Sloads are humanoid in appearance, if monstrously so. Adults have arms, legs, a torso and a head. Sload are hermaphrodites in their youth, but they later reabsorb their reproductive organs as adults. It is safely assumed that they are not interfertile with humans or elves. One of the most interesting traits about the Sloads is their unique life cycle, which involves several stages of growth and development, each with an appearance vastly different from the previous one. As larvae, they are small, amorphous grubs and as adolescents, they appear as soft, octopus-like creatures that are easily blinded by sunlight. Only when they reach adulthood do they look humanoid. Although they age as most creatures do, there is no apparent limit for how big or old a Sload can get. Some Sloads are so old that they collapse under their own weight, unless they are buoyed by water. Culture The Sload can be quick thinkers, but they tend to take careful and deliberate action. They move and act slowly and cautiously, and do not make swift decisions. There is no word in the Sload language for "adventure"; the closest equivalent is said to mean "tragic disaster". Their hero myths are typically concerned with individuals who take slow, deliberate action, consult with wiser Sload and consider all options before they act, and are thus successful. Their mythic villains almost always fail due to taking quick action. The Sload are typically viewed as morally repugnant. Every Sload individual encountered has been a grasping, callous, unscrupulous, self-loving schemer. They do not seem to experience any familiar human emotions, though they are skilled diplomats and actors producing gross, exaggerated parodies of human behavior. They have no compunctions about blasphemy, theft, torture, kidnapping, murder, or genocide. They break laws whenever they calculate it to be in their best interests. They do not perceive honor, friendship, or loyalty in the familiar human terms, except for a cheerful affinity for those who defeat them or trick them in any endeavor. They are also known to be quite greedy, and excel as merchants and smuggling entrepreneurs. Trivia & Notes Lore * Since Thras is semi-submerged, the Sload live in airships underwater. Category:Races Category:Elder Scrolls Races Category:Aquatic Races